Contact for channel-brush switches



June 24, 1930. A. CORBETT 1,765,569

CONTACT FOR CHANNEL BRUSH SWITCHES Filed Aug. 6, 1927 Fi o: Z.

-- I fi l An I qr. u i O O Ll' 1 l i #5: O O 1 A? il J 4 INVENTOR AH? ed Cor'beti TTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE ALFRED CORBE'IT, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, AS SIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELEC- base 4 is mounted.

TRIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CONTACT FOR oHANNEL-Bnnsrr SWITCHES Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial No. 211,041.

My invention relates to switch mechanism and particularly to panel switches having a rotary operating handle.

An object of my'invention is to provide a panel board switch for controlling the main circuit of a distributing panel, wherein the switch is actuated by a rotary cam and wherein, the contactmembers of the switch engage the stationary contact terminals with a sliding and rolling action.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch contact member wherein, the contact shoes are supported upon a laminar switch arm which is flexed when moved to closed position and thereby causes the contactshoes to yieldingly engage the contact terminals with a rubbing action which serves to clean the contact shoes and terminals.

These and other objects that are made apparent throughout the further description of my invention are attained by the apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of switch apparatus embodyin features of my invention, the casing there%ore, being shown in section, and

Fig. 2 is'a transverse section throu h the apparatus taken on the line 1-11 of ig. 1 showing the switch contact elements in plan view.

Referring to the drawings,.the apparatus comprises a housing 3 in which an insulating Contact terminals 5 are mounted upon the insulating base 4 and extend through insulating bushings 6 in the side walls of the housing. I

A switch carrier 7 is slidably mounted upon studs S-that are secured at their inner ends to the insulating base .4, the carriers being yieldingly maintained in open position by meansof springs 9 that surround the studs 8 and which are disposed between the carrier 7 and the-insulating base. I Y

As illustrated, the switch is of the 3 pole type, there being 3 sets of contact terminals 5 that are adapted to be connected by the bridging switch arms mounted on the carrier 7. Each switch arm comprises a laminar member 11 made of phosplier-bronz'e laminae, or strips that are secured in assembled position upon the carrier by means of rivets 12. Contactshoes 13 are secured to the lowermost lamination of the bridging switch, the shoes having convex contact surfaces 14 that are adapted to engage the contact terminals 5 with a rolling and sliding movement in order to clean the surface of the contact shoes and the contact terminals at each operation 11 is of greater length 7 The carrier 7 is provided with a pair of rollers 17, which engage the edges of a rotary cam 18 having inclined cam surfaces 19. As shown in the drawings, the cam 18 is pivoted for rotation upon a pin 21 that is pivotally mounted upon a cover plate 22 secured to the housing 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the switch is in its closed position and the roller 17 is seated in a slight depression 23 in the cam face 19. The switch is thus releasably held in closed position.

When the operating handle 24, which is connected to the'cam member 18 by a lost m0- tionconnection, is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the springs 19 will force the roller along the inclined cam surface 19 to the open position with a snap action. To close the switch, the operating handle is moved in a clockwise-direction, thus causing the cam surface-19 to force the carrier 7 downward into the closed position, shown in Fig. 1.

The construction is simple and contains relatively few parts and is, therefore,-inexpensive to manufacture. A conductive contact is the absence of heating of the switch parts usually present in contact switches of the butt contact type.

While I have illustrated but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges,

modifications, substitutions, additions .and

omissions may be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

1 I claim as my invention:

1. A switch comprising a air of spaced contact members, and a movab switch member comprising a carrier, a yielding laminar member mounted on the carrier and extending transversely of the direction of movement of the carrier and comprising a plurality of on separate flexible plates,- contacts mounte the free ends of the undermost plate having convex contact surfaces for engaging the contact members with a sliding and rolling movement, and means for moving the carrier to closed position, wherein the laminar, member members.

is flexed and yieldingly presses the contacts into engagement with the contact member.

2. A switch comprising a pair of spaced contact members, a movable switch member comprising a carrier, a yielding laminar member mounted on the carrier and extending transversely of the direction of movement of the carrier, contacts mounted on the free ends'of the undermost lamination having a pair of contact shoes provided with convex contact surfaces for engagin the contact members with a slidingand rol ing movement, the uppermost lamination of the laminar member bei longer than the others and being provided with an arcing tip, and means for moving the carrier to closed position wherein the contact shoes are yieldingly maintained in contact with the said contact In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub scribed my name this 3rd day of August,

,- ALFRED CORBETT. 

